If you’re heading downtown this weekend, you’ll have to map an alternate route if you’re anywhere near Jácome Plaza; most of the nearby downtown streets are closed.
You might also find a bit of a traffic jam up on North First Avenue between East River and East Wetmore roads as fans head to this weekend’s twin music festivals at Rillito Park.
And then there’s four “No Kings: Vote Early” rallies taking place around town.
Welcome to what will surely be one of Tucson’s busiest weekends of the fall.
We have the lowdown on everything going on this weekend, but before you head out, check for traffic restrictions.
Tucson Meet Yourself
Where: Jácome Plaza, 101 N. Stone Ave.
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When: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.
Details: tucsonmeetyourself.org
The city on Tuesday closed East Pennington Street from South Church to Scott avenues and Stone Avenue between Congress and Alameda streets for the 52nd annual folklife festival, taking place in and around Jácome Plaza through Sunday.
Those roads are expected to reopen on Monday.
The festival reimagined its expansive footprint this year as part of its collaboration with Smithsonian Institute’s ’“Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals” nationwide tour; Meet Yourself was one of 40 folklife events nationwide to be selected for the initiative.
Tucson Meet Yourself has a new focus and footprint in downtown Tucson this weekend.
Meet Yourself also expanded its cultural programs and exhibits to allow festivalgoers a chance to get to know more about the community’s cultural diversity.
But don’t worry; food is still a focus with 50 vendors dishing up everything from tacos to Taiwanese fried chicken.
And as always, admission is free.
‘No Kings: Vote Early’
Tucson is set to host four of the more than 3,000 nationwide No Kings early voting actions being held around the country on Saturday.
The events will focus on voter turnout roughly two weeks out from the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Organizers said the goal is to energize voters so that turnout is “so historically high that it would be hard for the Trump administration to claim there was fraud,” according to a report from USA Today.
This is the fourth No Kings Day of Action held since as many as 6 million people participated in the first one in June 2025.
Hundreds of Tucson protesters marched down East Congress Street in the first “No Kings” action in October 2025. On Saturday, “No Kings” organizers are hoping to energize voters for the the Nov. 2 midterm elections with a series of “Vote Early” gatherings around the city and in Oro Valley.
The Tucson area Vote Early actions are scheduled from 9 a.m.-noon at Rooney Ranch Shopping Center, 10515 N. Oracle Road in Oro Valley, and East River Road and North Via Entrada; from 8:30-11 a.m. at South Houghton and East Rita roads in Rita Ranch; 2-3:30 p.m. at the Speedway Pedestrian Bridge at 8301 E. Speedway; and from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. at North Country Club Road and East Speedway.
Find more information at nokings.org.
Activated Events added Tucson to its hip-hop/rap festival Party in the Park, coming to Rillito Park on Saturday.
Party in the Park / Boots in the Park
Where: Rillito Park, 4502 N. First Ave.
Presented by: Activated Events
The California-based event presenter introduced itself to Tucson with last October’s Boots in the Park country music festival.
Attendance was pretty impressive for a first-time event, so much so that Activated is returning not only with Boots but also with its daylong hip-hop/rap festival, Party in the Park.
Rapper Wiz Khalifa headlines the inaugural Party in the Park festival, presented by Activated Events
Both take place at Rillito Park.
On Saturday, rapper Wiz Khalifa headlines Party with a supporting cast that includes Waka Flocka Flame, DaBaby and B.o.B.
Rapper Young Me opens the festival at 2:15 p.m., followed by Petey Pablo at 2:45 before the bigger named acts doing hour-long sets take the stage, beginning with B.o.B. at 4, DaBaby at 5:15 and Waka Flocka Flame at 6:45. Khalifa is set to perform last at 8:15.
Bubba Sparkxxx is the special guest, and Tucson DJ Jahmar and Scottsdale DJ Brett Ortiz will provide the between-acts sounds.
General admission tickets are $59, but after Activated adds in its $25 booking fee, the cost is $84 through partyinthepark.com.
Jon Pardi headlines Sunday’s Boots festival with Texas country star Koe Wetzel and rising Texas country singer Corey Kent.
Neo-trad country singer Jon Pardi is back in Tucson to headline the second Boots in the Park festival at Rillito Park on Sunday after he nearly sold out the Tucson Arena in spring 2025.
This is Pardi’s second Tucson show in 18 months after he nearly sold out Tucson Arena in spring 2025.
Doors open at noon with Scottsdale DJ Brett Ortiz warming up the crowd before Kody Raine takes the Rillito stage at 12:30 p.m.
Alabama country singer Myles Morgan is on at 1:30, followed by the Texas band The Wilder Blue at 2:45, Kent at 4:15, Wetzel at 6 and Pardi closing out the night at 8.
General admission tickets that remain start at $124, which includes a $25 service fee, through bootsinthepark.com/tucson.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Bluesky @Starburch
Cathalena E. Burch
Reporter
